Trees & shrubs: What's the difference?

Trees are defined as woody plants that are approximately 15 feet or higher at maturity. Trees usually have a single stem and spread out on top to form a crown. There are two categories of trees: conifers and deciduous broadleaves.

Conifers usually have thin, needlelike leaves. They're often called evergreens because they shed only a portion of their needles each year (except for tamarack). Conifers produce seeds in cones; the name "conifer" means "cone bearer." Common conifers found in North Shore state parks are white cedar, white spruce, white pine, and balsam fir.

Deciduous broadleaf trees have broad (wide) leaves, which are shed for winter. They are also referred to as hardwoods or the flowering trees. They produce covered seeds (fruits, berries, nuts). Common deciduous trees found in North Shore state parks are paper birch, quaking aspen, balsam poplar, mountain ash, and black ash.

Shrubs are multi-stemmed, woody plants that range from a few feet high to almost 15 feet tall at maturity. Shrubs, which lack crowns, dominate most of the forest understory. Common broadleaf shrubs found in North Shore state parks are speckled alder, bush honeysuckle, mountain maple, juneberry, raspberry, thimbleberry, beaked hazelnut, and ninebark.

Fall leaf color

There are two seasons of fall color on the North Shore of Lake Superior due to temperature variations found from along the shore to the inland "high country" known as the Sawtooth Mountains. The first season begins inland around mid-September, with color peaking between September 20 through October 7. The second season occurs directly along the lakeshore and usually peaks during the last week of September and may last through early to mid-October.